Public health experts and policymakers are growing increasingly concerned about the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. In his latest column for the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson discusses what the research says on this topic, looks at efforts to protect children from social media’s harms through policymaking and the courts, and offers advice to parents and caregivers.

For more on the emerging connection between social media and youth mental health, see our topic page.